FILE – The 2019 NBA Draft prospects stand on stage with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the start of the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
Greek-Nigerian Nikos Okekuoyen is following in the footsteps of NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and hopes he too will play in the top basketball league in the world.
The 23-year-old, 6-foot-11 big man is the only Greek player eligible to be selected in the 2020 NBA draft scheduled for Wednesday.
Okekuoyen, who played on the same Filathlitikos team in which fellow Greek-Nigerian Antetokounmpo starred, is currently playing for second division Agrinio.
He had an average 13.5 points and six rebounds before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus.
Just like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Okekuoyen started playing football during his youth but his rapid growth led him to the basketball courts.
“At the age of around 12 I started to grow very tall and put on some extra weight, something that did not help me continue with football,” he told Sport FM in an interview.
The left-handed, 135kg player met the three NBA-starring Antetokounmpo brothers at Filathlitikos “and became friends….Giannis knows he is my big bro.”
While playing for Filathlitikos he was given a scholarship to play in the US from 2016 to this year.
“I saw LeBron James in person when I went to see Giannis play. Giannis had given me a ticket to go to the locker rooms. It was one of my best experiences to see my idol in person.”